Nuzhat al-Nazar fi Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikar - Tahqiq al-Qasim - Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani - (153)

[Fabrications]

Thus, the first category (1)—that is, the criticism leveled against a narrator for lying in a Prophetic report (2)—is the mawḍūʿ (fabricated) ḥadīth (3). The verdict that a report is fabricated (4) rests on a predominance of probability, not on absolute certainty, for even a habitual liar may sometimes speak the truth. Yet the scholars (5) of ḥadīth (6) possess a powerful aptitude by which they distinguish such cases, and only those among them whose exposure is extensive, whose intellect is penetrating, whose understanding is strong, and whose mastery of the indicators pointing to fabrication is well established are qualified to pass that judgment.

[How is fabrication detected in a ḥadīth?]

Fabrication may also be recognized by the fabricator’s own confession. Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd (7) said:

(1) MS A reads “wa-l-qism” (“and the section”), whereas MS T has “al-qism” (“the section”). (2) MS K inserts “huwa” (“he/it is”). (3) In the margin of MS L, in the author’s own hand: “Then he attained mastery through reading and research. Written by: Ibn Ḥajar.” (4) MS H reads “yakun” (“is”). (5) MS K has “wa-li-ahl” (“and for the specialists”) instead of “lakin li-ahl” (“but for the specialists”). (6) MS J reads “al-hadith” (“hadith”) in place of “al-ilm” (“knowledge”); this is a mistake. (7) The reference is to Taqi al-Din Abu l-Fath Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Wahb al-Qushayri (d. 702 AH); see al-Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, 4:181.

[الموضوع] (فَـ) القِسْمُ (١) (الأَوَّلُ) - وَهُوَ (٢) الطَّعْنُ بِكَذِبِ الرَّاوِي فِي الحَدِيثِ النَّبَوِيِّ -؛ هُوَ: (المَوْضُوعُ) (٣)، وَالحُكْمُ عَلَيْهِ بِالوَضْعِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ (٤) بِطَرِيقِ الظَّنِّ الغَالِبِ لَا بِالقَطْعِ؛ إِذْ قَدْ يَصْدُقُ الكَذُوبُ، لَكِنْ لِأَهْلِ (٥) العِلْمِ (٦) بِالحَدِيثِ مَلَكَةٌ قَوِيَّةٌ يُمَيِّزُونَ بِهَا ذَلِكَ، وَإِنَّمَا يَقُومُ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ اطِّلَاعُهُ تَامّاً، وَذِهْنُهُ ثَاقِباً، وَفَهْمُهُ قَوِيّاً، وَمَعْرِفَتُهُ بِالقَرَائِنِ الدَّالَّةِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مُتَمَكِّنَةً. [كيف يُعرَف الوضع في الحديث؟] وَقَدْ يُعْرَفُ الوَضْعُ بِإِقْرَارِ وَاضِعِهِ، قَالَ ابْنُ دَقِيقِ العِيدِ (٧):

(١) في أ: «والقسم»، وفي ط: «القسم». (٢) في ك: «هو». (٣) في حاشية ل - بخطِّ المُصنِّف -: «ثم بلغ قراءة وبحثاً. كتبه: ابن حجر». (٤) في هـ: «يكون». (٥) في ك: «ولأهل» بدل: «لَكِنْ لأَهْلِ». (٦) في ج: «الحديث» بدل: «العِلْم»، وهو وَهم. (٧) هو: تقي الدين أبو الفتح، محمد بن علي بن وهب القشيري (ت ٧٠٢ هـ). تذكرة الحفاظ للذَّهبي (٤/ ١٨١).